Adjustable grille construction



May 15, 1951 R. R. LAMBERT 2,552,982

ADJUSTABLE GRILLE coNs'rRuc'rIoN Filed Aug. L, 1947 HTZ'OENEV PatentedMay 15, 1951 ADJUSTABLE GRILLE CONSTRUCTION Robert R. Lambert, LosAngeles, Calif., assignor to Air-Factors, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of California Application August 1, 1947, Serial No. 765,422

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an adjustable grille construction such as areemployed in front of air outlets in heating and ventilating systems orhumidifiers and air-conditioners. More particularly, this inventionrelates to grilles having vanes or bars that are individually adjustableinto a wide variety of positions to deflect the air passing therefrom inany desired direction.

Grilles employing individually adjustable vanes have heretofore beenproposed. These vanes are permanently fixed in the grille, and theybecome worn and often bent due to the manual adjusting of the vanes, andthe grille construction must be dismantled in order to repair theadjustable vanes. Also, the means for retaining the adjustable vanes inthe desired position soon become worn due to use, and the positioning ofthe vanes is more or less varied by the air passing therethrough, suchvariation being pronounced when air is supplied to the grille atappreciable oressure and velocity. Since air-conditioning systerns arenow employing high velocities, prior grilles are not effective inmaintaining desired directional distribution. Furthermore, loose, wornvanes vibrate and create noises which preclude their use in theaters,hospitals and homes where quiet is desired. It is, therefore, a primaryobject of this invention to provide grilles having vanes which areindividually adjustable into a plurality of predetermined positions todeflect the air issuing therefrom in any desired direction. Many priorgrilles were provided with vanes at a fixed inclination and also carrieda set of louvers which could be used to shut ofi all or part of thegrille in order to balance the systern and adjust the capacity or netopening or area of the grille. An object of my invention is to provide agrille wherein the vanes may be caused to lie in a common plane andthereby cut off all or part of the effective area of the grille withoutthe use of the separate set of louvers.

Another object is to provide a grille having adjustable vanes soarranged that the vanes are contacted at a plurality of positions bysupporting bars which will render the life of the positive adjustabilityof the vanes of longer duration than those heretofore proposed.

A further object to provide a grille having vanes so constructed thatcertain of the vanes employed for directing air in difierent directionsmay be easily replaced or dismantled and repaired without dismantling orinterfering with the grille structure.

A still further object is to provide a grille having the abovecharacteristics which is simple and inexpensive in construction, of neatand pleasing appearance, of strong and sturdy, easily assembledconstruction, and arranged to be of such shallow depth as to fit into awall surfacing, such as plaster, without extending into or reducing thearea of a supply duct.

The above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the furtherdescription of the invention when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to likeparts. The drawings are exemplary, and the invention is defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a grille embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line II-II of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the re movable, adjustablevanes in difierent positions.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the removablevanes are turnably supported in the stationary bars.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing certain of the vanes in Fig. 2 inelevation.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates a wall or other supportingstructure having an opening therein in which the present grille ismounted. The grille includes a frame having a face plate 2, generallyrectangular in shape, although it may be square or such otherconfiguration as required. The face plate is provided with aframeindicated in dotted lines, having sides I0, top I I and bottom I2.The sides Iii, top II and bottom I2 extend at substantially right anglesto the face plate 2 and are adapted to support the grille work. The faceplate may be formed of angle irons suitably connected at the corners,one leg of the angle irons forming sides It, II and I2. Vertical bars I3are arranged in uniformly spaced relation relative to the opening I4defined by the frame. These b'ars I3 are utilized to support removableand adjustable, horizontal vanes I5.

It is desired that the vanes I5 be individually adjustable andpositioned in interconnecting, nested relation with the bars l3. This isaccomplished by perforating the vertical bars I3 with a plurality ofcircular openings l6 uniformly spaced throughout the length of the barsI3. The openings are disposed centrally of the width of the bars I3, andeach of the openings is provided with a slot I! which connects theopening It with one edge of the bar I3. These slots H are defined by along side l8 and short side I9. The slots I! are positioned at an angle3 to the axis of the bar |3, and the long side I8 of the slotsintersects the periphery of each opening |6 at a tangent.

The vanes |5 are each of a width equal to the distance between centersof adjacent perforations l6 and are provided with spaced, reducedportions 2|, such reduced portions being of substantially the samediameter as the perforations with slots extending from opposite edges ofeach vane toward each reduced portion 2|. The reduced portions 2| arespaced distances equal to the spacing of supporting bars |3. The slots Hare of a width slightly greater than the thickness of a vane or thereduced portion 2| thereof.

In assembling the grille, each of the vanes I5 is placed in the plane ofan inclined slot ll, with the reduced portions 2| in alignment with theslots, and slid into the slot l1. As the reduced portion 2| entersperforation or circular port l6, the entire vane tends to revolve in aclockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 2, being guided by engagement ofan edge of the reduced portion with the curved wall of port l6.Displacement of wanes IS in the direction of the longitudinal axis ofeach vane is prevented by the short opposing slots formed in the vaneand leading to the reduced portions, these short slots receiving barsl3. Each vane l5 can then be turned or rotated for substantially 180,clockwise in Figs. 2 and 3. In order to prevent reentry into slot ll,each short side |9 is provided with a stop 22 (such as a bead or bossformed in the metal of bar 3) for abutting with portion 23 of vane |5adjacent a short slot leading to the reduced portion 2|.

Each end of the vanes H5 is terminated in a reduced portion 2 I ofsubstantially the same dimensions as reduced portion 2|. Therefore, itcan be understood that the sides It may have fixed thereto (by means ofspot welding or the like) a bar l3 containing the erforations I6 andslots I! through which the reduced portion 2| may extend and serve as asupport for the ends of the vanes l5. By this construction theadjustable vanes may be regulated within the space defined by the widthof the vanes, which width may be the thickness of the wall or supportingstructure in which the grille is installed.

'In the operation of the assembled device, a tool 25 having a bifurcatedend 26 adapted to engage edge areas of the vanes l5 may be employed forturning the vanes at the desired angle for directing the air flowthereby in such direction as required. The tool end 26 may he at anangle to the handle portion in order to facilitate the positioning ofthe -vanes l5 in a common plane. After positioning each vane in theplane of the grille, the tool is then turned 90 about the axis of thebent portion 25 of the tool and the tool withdrawn and engaged with theadjacent vane for the same operation. As many tools as required may beused for adjusting vanes of grilles having different lengths.

The 'bars I3 have their upper ends mounted in the top H and the lowerends mounted in the bottom 12 in such manner as will maintain them inrigid, fixed position so that their position will not be disturbedduring the adjusting of the vanes Is.

It can also be understood that the resistance set up 'by'the severalcontacting surfaces of the reduced portions 2| and the adjacent sides ofthe bars |3 will 'be sufficient to maintain the adjustable bars l5 inany position that they may be placed.

In order to remove vanes l5, they are rotated counter-clockwise, asviewed at the top of Fig. 2, to the position shown indotted lines at I5,at which time the vane may be disconnected from the grille by way of theslots H. In order to limit the movement of the vanes |5 in clockwisedirection, the short sides IQ of the slots I! are struck up to form theprojection 22, which limits the rotation of the vanes I5 within theperforation I6 to substantially 180.

It may be noted that when vanes l5 were of metal approximately in. thickand in. wide, ports l6 were circular and A; in. in diameter, the slotsI! being e%+ in. wide. Having the slots about one-fourth of the diameterof ports l6 has given good results and facilitated assembly. Reducedportions 2| are preferably from two-thirds to one-fourth of vane width.

Accordingly, there is provided a grille for use in heating, ventilating,air-conditioning systems and the like, having removable vanes that areadjustable, whereby the removable vanes may be positioned to deflect theair in any desired direction, and which vanes may be readily removed andreplaced or repaired and that the assembled structure is sturdy,positive, efficient in operation, neat and pleasing in appearance andcheap to manufacture. Since slots fl may be at an angle of 45 or more tothe axis of bar l3, each vane may be turned to a range of positionscovering 180 or more, thereby producing a grille of great flexibility.

While the present invention has been described in connection withhorizontally disposed, removable and adjustable vanes, it will now beapparent to those skilled in the art that the structure maybe similarlyprovided with vertical, removable, adjustable vanes. Other changes,modifications, substitutions and additions may be made in the exemplaryform shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a grille, a frame member defining an opening, two sets of barsmounted in said frame and disposed at right angles to each other, meansfor interconnecting said sets of bars in nested relation, said meansincluding spaced openings in one set of bars and spaced reduced portionsin the other set of bars, the said one set of bars having slotstangentially connecting the said openings with one edge of the barsthrough which the said reduced portions are inserted into the sa-idopenings.

2. A grille in accordance with claim 1, wherein some of the bars arepivot-ally adjustable to direct :air passing therethrough at an angleless than to the plane of said grille.

3. A grille in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said sets of barsis individually adjustable relative to the plane of said grille bypivotally moving said bar in its respective openings.

4. A grille in accordance with claim 1, wherein some of the bars areremovably and p'ivotally mounted in said grille.

5. An-adjustablegrille including: a plurality of fixed bars, eachprovided with a multiplicity of circular ports in alignment, an inclinedentrance slot extending from the edge of a bar tangentially to eachport, the ports and slots of one bar being in alignment with the portsand slots of other bars, and vanes provided with pairs of aligned edgeslots leading to reduced vane portions, said reduced vane portions beingpositioned within said ports, whereby the vanes are rotatablypositionable on said fixed bars.

6. An adjustable grille of the character stated in claim 5, wherein theport centers are spaced a distance equal to the width of the vaneshaving reduced portions.

'7. An adjustable grille including: a plurality of fixed bars, eachprovided with a multiplicity of circular ports in alignment, an inclinedentrance slot extending from the edge of a bar tangentially to eachport, the ports and slots of one bar being in alignment with the portsand slots of other bars, and vanes provided with pairs of aligned edgeslots leading to reduced vane portions, said reduced vane portions beingpositioned Within said ports, whereby the vanes are rotatablypositionable on said fixed bars, and means on at least one of said barsfor limiting rotation of said vanes.

8. A grille bar comprising a flat strip of material having circularopenings spaced along the longitudinal axis of the strip, and entranceslots of uniform width inclined to the longitudinal axis of the stripand connecting a longitudinal edge of the strip with said openings, oneof the edges defining each slot being tangential to the edge definingthe circular opening.

9. A grille bar comprising a flat strip of material having a pluralityof aligned circular openings; and entrance slots each having a widthless than the radius of a respective circular opening and inclined tothe longitudinal axis of the strip to connect a longitudinal edge of thestrip with said openings, one of the edges of each slot being tangentialto the circular edge of a respective opening.

10. In a grille, a frame member defining an opening, two sets of barsmounted in said frame and disposed at right angles to each other, meansfor interconnecting said sets of bars in nested relation, said meansincluding spaced circular openings in one set of bars and spaced reducedportions in the other set of bars, the said one set of bars having slotsof uniform width connecting the said openings with one edge of the barsthrough which the said reduced portions are inserted into the saidopenings, one edge of each slot merging with the edge of a respectivecircular opening at a tangential point.

ROBERT R. LAMBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 571,575 Norwood Nov. 17, 18961,412,039 Bowman Apr. 11, 1922 1,695,768 Kelly Dec. 18, 1928 2,034,231Fox Mar. 17, 1936 2,152,447 Wheeler Mar.28, 1939 2,185,712 Rowley Jan.2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 396,848 Great Britain Aug.17, 1933

